


Snowball

by VirtueToMoir (NycterisM)



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-03-15 22:27:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3464348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NycterisM/pseuds/VirtueToMoir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the first line prompt: "Don’t you dare throw that snowba-, goddammit!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Snowball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early Winter

"Don’t you dare throw that snowba-, goddammit!”

Scott spluttered and, with unnecessarily giant movements, wiped the snow from his face.

Tessa laughed at the comical picture of her partner. She folded over in the middle, holding her sides, while the laughter choked her.

He frowned at her amusement. Slowly and deliberately, the frown lifted into a determined grin.

Tessa’s laughter slowed to hiccups and chuckles and she looked up in time to see him skating towards her, body bent, arms and legs pushing him fast across the icy pond.

She let out a nervous gasp halfway between a laugh and a squeal and pushed off skating backwards in a mad scramble to get away from the glint in his eye.

She wasn’t fast enough.

Scott barrelled into her, his shoulder hitting her stomach and half lifting her off the ice as his momentum flew them past the edge of the pond and into the piles of snow on the bank.

Tessa landed with an oomph on top of Scott. At the last second he’d straightened up and spun them so he’d hit the snow first. Her head fell against his shoulder with a firm thud and she stayed still for a moment, a little dizzy but enjoying the feel of her cheek against the cold outer layer of his jacket.

His arms, tight around her back, held her solidly against him. As used to his body snug against her own as she was, there were times when it just felt different. Times like now when the barriers of the audience, practice, and acting were gone and it was just them. It was both scary and relaxing.

The air was still and crisp around them. The overcast sky seemed to hang impossibly low overhead. Only the creak and shift of the snow beneath them broke into the quiet.

Scott’s arms relaxed around her. One hand smoothed lower and rested on the curve of her back. Tessa remained still, her eyes stared sightless over his chest to the trees in the distance. Her forearms lay where they’d landed in the snow at his sides. His fingers drew tiny circles over her clothes growing a little bolder until he was stroking the bare skin above her jeans, his fingers having crept their way under her jacket. They were cold against her warm skin and it was enough to jerk Tessa out of her frozen state.

She shifted and pushed herself up, her gloved hands digging into the snow, to look down at him. His hands fell to grip the sides of her hips, aiding in propping her up.

“Tess–. “ He looked for all the world like he was about to say something, about to put the thoughts teasing and racing through his mind and heart into words.

She watched, searching him for whatever he wanted to say. Usually she could read him easily, but right now he was as mysterious to her as a stranger. She didn't like it and creases pulled her forehead into a slight frown.

Scott let out a breath and his eyes fell away from hers. He sat up, pushing her from him.

“What is it?” Tessa grabbed his hand.

Scott shook his head, squeezed her hand, and grinned at her. “Never mind. It’s nothing.”

He jumped lightly back onto the ice and skated to where they’d swapped their boots for skates. “Come on. We should get back.” He nodded towards the farmhouse in the distance where their hungry families were most likely waiting for them get back and sit down to lunch.

Tessa stared at his retreating back and wondered if she’d ever know the secret, she was positive there had been one.


	2. Cookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early Winter

Tessa and Scott stood and gathered up the dirty dishes and cutlery from around the large table. It was actually two tables pushed together which created an awkward change in heights beneath the tablecloth but provided the room required to fit both the Moir and Virtue families.

“Let’s do this!” Danny declared. He leant over the table and pushed the central vases and a few glasses aside to make room for the game board. Everyone else discussed who they would pair up with and which colour token would represent their team.

Danny leant out and grabbed Tessa around the shoulders.

“I call Tessa!” He announced. He pulled her in close so fast she almost dropped the plates and had to stabilise the cutlery with one hand. She laughed at him and agreed.

“You’re all going to lose!” He declared in early triumph.

“Not likely.” Kate looped her arm through Scott’s in response. Scott grinned and rewarded her with a quick peck on her cheek.

“I’ll get the dishes sorted out and be back.” Tessa ducked out from under Danny’s arm.

“I’ll help.” Scott followed her to the doorway leading to the kitchen.

“Bring the coffee and cookies back with you!” Kate called after them.

“Sure.” Confirmed Scott over his shoulder as they disappeared. “Start without us.”

 

* * *

 

Tessa transferred the warm cookies from the baking tray onto two large plates, one for each end of the table. Behind her Scott rinsed off the last few dishes and stacked them into the dishwasher. They worked in silence, both comfortable in their own thoughts and each other’s company. Excited yells and cries of defeat echoed through the door from the lounge room, which hung a little ajar.

Tessa heard the dishwasher door click shut followed by the beeps and whirring signifying Scott had started the cycle. She continued to transfer cookies as he filled the kettle and switched it on. With the number of adults next door Tessa was prepared to pile as many cookies onto the two plates as she could fit. She was reasonably confident the remaining three would be able to be balanced on top.

She vaguely registered that Scott hadn’t been moving about behind her for some time. She was about to turn to discover what he was doing when his hands smoothed onto her shoulders and began to massage them. His strong hands pushed his thumbs into the familiar places and moved around her muscles. Tessa sighed a little at the release of pressure and rocked her head to the side.

“Thank-.“ She started but stopped and froze when his hands left her shoulders and slid about her waist. His arms hugged her back against his body and his forehead dropped to snuggle the crook of her neck.

Hugs like this weren’t anything unusual. Scott was most definitely a touchy feely kind of guy. He always had been and often without warning he would drag her close. Sometimes it was because things were going wrong, but more often it was just that he felt happy and in love with life. Hugs were his favourite expression of that giddiness and Tessa was most often the recipient of them. Anything could encourage them, a new lift done perfectly, a piece of music that lifted his heart, even just the ice cream shop having one last scoop of his favourite.

This hug, however, Tessa knew was not one of his happy ones. He’d been so tucked into his own thoughts all weekend he’d barely participated in the loud conversations and debates of which he was usually the center. She’d been trying to read him but had failed. Ever since their skate on the pond that morning he’d grown quieter and more thoughtful as though he were trying to unravel a large complicated problem. She wished he would tell her. This was starting to push against the boundaries of the ‘no secrets and always there for each other’ agreement they’d drawn up when she was ten and he was twelve. It wasn’t like him to keep things inside and it concerned her.

Tessa put the spatula down on the bench, crossed her arms and covered his hands with her own.

“Scott?” She shifted to turn and face him but his arms tightened around her, holding her in place.

He gave a muffled kind of grunt into her shoulder. His hands splayed wide over her hips as if to hug as much of her as he could. Tessa was really getting concerned. Something was very wrong.

Then she felt his head lift. His nose nudged aside the fabric of her sweater and his mouth met the skin at the base of her neck and shoulder. Tessa’s eyes were wide in surprise. This was different. This was very different. She couldn’t explain this away. Scott Moir was definitely kissing her neck.

As sudden as it was she couldn’t exactly say she didn’t like it. His mouth was warm and tingles spread through her from the point of connection. She would swear the patch of skin was now burning. She shivered in reaction to the difference in heat and cold.

Tessa lifted a hand to cradle the back of his head.

“S-Scott?” She turned more forcibly to look at him. He obediently relaxed his arms to let her but didn’t step back. His arms remained where they had been, encircling her middle. His head hung down and he wouldn’t look at her. Tessa rested her hands on his forearms and sought his eyes.

“Scott, what’s going on?”

Slowly he lifted his head and met her gaze.

There was so much turmoil in his eyes. There was an odd certainty but covered by too many questions and thoughts she couldn’t read. Tessa frowned. She hated not being able to read him. She wanted answers.

“Tell me.” Tessa demanded, before adding a softer, “Please.”

Whatever she hadn’t been able to read in him was swiftly replaced by a decision.

Scott stepped back and took her hands.

“Sorry, Tess.” He mumbled.

His seriousness was replaced by a brilliant grin that did not quite shift all of the shadows from his eyes. He reached around her and popped the last three cookies onto one of the plates with his bare hands. She would have scolded him but he bounced away into the next room where she could hear him loudly announce the arrival of the snacks and the freshly boiled state of the kettle.

Did he want to change things? Was this him trying to change their relationship? Did she want that? Too many questions without answers. Tessa let out a long steadying breath and leant back against the counter. She reached up with hesitation and hovered her fingers over the spot his mouth had been. Her eyes fell closed in memory and the simple feel of his lips against her neck.


	3. Ankle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early Spring

Christmas came and went without Tessa gaining any further insight as to what had been going through Scott’s mind that day in the snow. She let it drop and chalked it up to him simply feeling overly affectionate. It happened and wasn’t anything to dwell on. Their relationship and routine flowed on as normal. They were friends again and while Tessa’s heart gave a tiny sigh of disappointment she was happy for the return of the familiar.

If curled up in a hotel bed far across the country from home with her foot bandaged and Scott by her side could be called familiar. She let her mind drift from the TV show, to which she hadn’t really been paying attention, and wander over the events of the evening.

 

* * *

 

 

Tessa’s eyes flew wide open.

There are moments in life when you can see yourself hurtling towards a bad accident. Time seems to slow and you watch the events unfold in horror.

This was one of those moments.

The crowd was enthusiastic for the end of the performance. Everyone who had participated in the show was whirling around on the ice in the general joy of an end of show celebration, heightened by it being the last of the tour. With no choreography and the infectious excitement of the audience the skaters jumped and spun and waved.

Tessa felt the bubbles of laughter and fun lifting her and launched herself into the air and a perfect double axel. Well it had been a perfect double axel until she glanced towards where she would land and saw Joannie skating across in front of her. In that moment she just knew this was going to be bad.

Joannie looked over her shoulder to see Tessa coming towards her. Although both had been aware of where the other skaters were on the ice before ending up in their current situation, the two girls had been hidden from each other by the bright lights and their deep shadows.

Tessa yanked her legs towards herself and twisted her body in a desperate attempt to avoid Joannie. Joannie, at the same time, pushed herself faster and spun, trying to avoid Tessa.

They made it. Joannie’s body was fractions out of the way and into safety as Tessa descended.

Tessa wasn’t as fortunate.

She slammed into the ice at a worrying angle. Her legs twisted up and slid out from beneath her.

She would later be grateful that at just that moment the powerful lights overhead shut off, plunging the arena into darkness and the dim lights of faraway exits.

She managed to stifle most of the cry as the pain tore through her. Her hip and elbow weren’t so bad. There would be bruises but it was nothing she hadn’t felt before on countless falls. Her ankle on the other hand was screaming pain at her.

“Tessa!” Scott came skidding across the ice to her as Joannie dropped to her knees. Both reached for Tessa, trying to tell in the dark how badly she was injured. Scott kneeled behind her and held her upright against his chest. His hands ran down her hips and legs. Joannie reached for her hands and arms.

“Tessa, are you okay?” Joannie asked, urgent and low. “Where does it hurt?”

Tessa shook her head as Scott jostled her about in his haste. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

She leaned back against Scott and cast a worried glance at the ceiling. The lights would come one again at any moment. She knew if she was still on the ice there would be a ridiculous amount of questions.

She pulled at Scott’s arms in a silent plea of help. He nodded and stood, pulling her up with him.

By the time the lights came back on, which in actual fact was only about half a minute after they’d gone out, Tessa stood in the line ready to bow. She put just enough weight on her good foot to make it bearable but not enough to show her favouritism.

Bows were taken and Scott pulled Tessa out of the line of skaters. They waved together and headed early for the exit.

Tessa grit her teeth and leant into Scott. She balanced and glided on her good foot, letting him stroke for the both of them. Joannie trailed them closely. She hovered at Tessa’s side, ready to help if needed. At the edge of the rink Scott scooped Tessa up and carried her backstage.

Two hours later Tessa looped her arms about Scott’s shoulders as he lifted her from the van and cradled her against his chest. Joannie reached in after Tessa was out and grabbed their bags. They headed into the hotel with the rest of the cast while Jeff drove away towards the hotel carpark.

A quick inspection of Tessa’s foot earlier had led to the tour doctor announcing she suffered from nothing more serious than a bad sprain. He ordered her to stay off it for a couple of days in order to speed her recovery. Scott took his words literally and faithfully promised they would be obeyed.

When they reached her hotel room he deposited her on the bed and took the bags from Joannie, thanking her. Joannie cast an apologetic frown at Tessa, from whom she received a smile in return, and left.

“So.” Scott sat on the edge of the bed facing Tessa. He set about removing her shoes causing as little movement to the injured foot as possible. “Hot chocolate?”

“Oh you don’t have to.” Tessa waved him away and gave him a smile for emphasis. “I’m fine, really.”

Scott ignored her.

“Get changed and under the covers. I’ll get the chocolate.”

 

* * *

 

 

True to his word Scott had patted around her hotel room, making hot chocolate from sachets and the hotel kettle, keeping his back to her while she wriggled about on the bed and changed into her pyjamas. He’d kicked off his shoes and dived beneath the covers with her to begin a marathon of whatever they could find on TV.

Their now empty mugs sat on the bedside tables and the credits rolled on the TV show. The soothing melody of the theme song played into the room. Tessa looked at Scott to see if he wanted another show or if he planned to leave.

A smothered giggle threatened to choke her as she took in his form sprawled on her bed, legs splayed beneath the covers and mouth open as his head lay back against the wall. He looked so adorable, fast asleep and with a tiny bit of drool at the edge of his mouth, that she had to suppress the urge to coo at him.

She reached over and patted his shoulder.

Instead of waking, Scott slid down the wall towards her and landed with his head slumped in her lap. His legs kicked sleepily at the covers, bunching them around his feet. One of his socks slid halfway off his foot.  His hands pushed and pulled at her blanketed legs like they were pillows and he stilled. His sleeping weight on her legs a familiar and comfortable heaviness.

Tessa wrinkled her nose and gave in to the grin that spread across her lips.

She lay a hand on his shoulder but he stayed as dead to the world as a rock. She experimented further and lightly ran her fingers over his hair. No reaction.  Her fingers ventured across his ear, tracing the contours before skimming over the lobe.

She knew his face by heart, but rarely had a chance to study him unnoticed like this.

Was that a new freckle near his hairline? She thought it might be.  And another next to it. She stroked the two light brown dots. Pressing two fingers to her lips, she transferred the kiss to the freckles.

Smoothing her fingers through his hair she came across three stands of grey. With a light chuckle, knowing he’d be mortified to find them, she tugged on the strands one by one and placed them on the bedside table near her to be deposited in the bin later. She searched the rest of his hair as far as she could see and, finding another two, she repeated the treatment she’d given the first ones.

Scott gave an odd snore and snort and Tessa held her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing. As she wasn’t remotely sleepy yet, she picked up the TV remote and began to flick through the channels looking for something to watch. Her free hand slid over his back, moving in slow comforting circles.


	4. Cafe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mid Spring

China clattered against china as Tessa slid and bumped her half full coffee mug onto its saucer. She turned the page of her book and leaned against her hand to continue reading. Around her the small café was full of people chatting and laughing, chairs scraping against the wooden floor, and steam releasing from the coffee machine.

As had been happening a lot over the past few days, her mind kept drifting to Scott. Scott who was due to meet her here in ten minutes to go over their plans for the next few months. Scott and his new girlfriend. She’d opened her book almost out of desperation. A way to reach for some peace of mind instead of pondering over the questions and emotions that churned through her. The peace hadn’t lasted long and she now reread the same line for the fifth time, still blind to the words.

Emily. Sweet, dainty, perfect Emily. Small enough to tuck under Scott’s arm and melt into his side. When she moved it was with astounding grace as though she glided over the ground instead of walking. She was the sort of rare girl poetry was written about and beside her Tessa felt decidedly uncoordinated. It might have been okay if she had only had a horrible personality. Instead she was the sweetest most generous person Tessa had ever met.

Of all the girls Scott had chosen to date through his life, Emily was the easiest to love. And for that she was the one who made Tessa the most nervous. She feared beyond anything that she’d finally met the girl who would take him from her permanently. And she couldn’t blame him. If there was ever a person Tessa believed could make Scott truly happy for the rest of his life, it was Emily.

Tessa pushed her nails into her palm, took another sip of coffee, and refocused on her book.

“Excuse me.”

Tessa jumped a little and looked up. A tall blond man with a sunny smile was beaming down at her.

“This seat taken?”

“Um.” Tessa looked about the café to find it mostly full.

The man took her indecision as enough of a confirmation to slide himself into the empty chair.

Tessa pulled her feet back under her chair and pressed herself against its back. She eyed her coffee and considered how long it would be before she felt it would be polite to escape.

“Actually, someone is meeting me here soon.” She apologised.

“But not yet?” He asked hopefully.

Tessa remained silent but gave him a perplexed stare. Most people would have known to walk away now and take their coffee to go if they couldn’t find anywhere else to sit.

The man ducked down to see the cover of her book.

“’To Kill a Mockingbird.’ Just a bit of light spring reading, then?”

Tessa frowned. Who was this guy who felt it was okay to flout social cues and mock her choice of reading material.

“It’s first on the list of the Times’ 100 novels.”

“Ah, I see. So it wasn’t just that you liked Gregory Peck?” The man teased, his eyes sparkling.

Tessa bristled and sat straighter. This guy was getting on her nerves.

“And what if it was? How is that demeaning or in any way take away from my ability to also appreciate a good book?”

“I’m sorry. You’re quite right.” The man placed a hand over his heart in apology.

He stuck his hand out to her.

“I’m Stuart.”

“Tessa.” She replied politely, shaking his hand.

“So what is it you like about killing mockingbirds?”

“It’s not… That’s not what it’s about.” She held the book closer to herself.

Stuart laughed.

“I know. I was just teasing. Sorry. You’re right. It is a very good book. Atticus is a great character and one I try to emulate. ‘Before Jem looks at anyone, he looks at me, and I’ve tried to live so I can look squarely back at him.’ I try keep that in mind and live that out. I don’t have kids yet but if they come I’d like to know I’ve been that sort of a man already.”

Tessa let her hands and the book fall back to the table.

“Oh.” She studied the rim of her saucer in uncomfortable silence.

“Listen, we got off to a bad start. Let me make it up to you?” Stuart slid a hand towards her across the table and paused halfway against the dark wood grain. “Meet me for dinner tomorrow night?”

“Well.” Tessa hesitated and considered. He wasn’t bad. Very easy on the eyes and they did seem to have a few things in common. But still, did she really want this? Her heart was leaning towards no but her mind reasoned that dinner wasn’t a marriage proposal and it could be fun.

Her phone buzzed against the table and she glanced down at it. A message from Scott flashed on the screen. ‘Running late. Had to drop Emily off. Be there soon.’

Tessa’s heart clenched.

She looked back at Stuart.

“Sure. Let me know where and I’ll meet you there at seven.”

“Great.” He beamed and scribbled his number on a scrap of paper while he rattled off the directions to his favourite French restaurant downtown. It was a place Tessa knew of but had never had the occasion to go inside. She brightened a little. This could be fun after all.

Stuart stood and picked up his mug and satchel, he placed the paper on the table next to her coffee.

“Well, I’ll leave you to wait for your friend. See you tomorrow, Tessa.”

He held his hand out to her and shook hers with a slight reluctance to let it go.

Tessa nodded and watched him leave.

A scant minute later Scott strode though the coffee shop and slid into his chair.

“Hey kiddo, sorry I’m late. What’d I miss?”

Tessa smiled.

“Nothing much.”


	5. Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer

Patrick pulled into the drive and turned off the engine. He stretched in his seat and turned around to see what state his passengers were in. Stuart leaned against his door, a weird twisting of the seatbelt holding his head up. Tessa had fallen away from him onto Scott who’d obviously shifted in his sleep to accommodate her. Instead of the position he’d fallen asleep in long ago, which had been the mirror of Stuart’s, Scott now sat leaning back against the door with Tessa curled onto his chest. His arms held her in a relaxed hug. Their legs were a tangle of sleepy attempts to find comfort.

Patrick looked over at Jane, his girlfriend of about a year, with a smirk. She rolled her eyes and grinned back.

“What should we do?” He whispered to her.

She shrugged. “Let the chips fall where they will, I guess.”

She carefully opened the door to climb out, eager for bed. The combination of the car’s stillness and the blast of fresh air flooding in woke the sleeping three.

Tessa and Scott woke quickly, their eyes meeting as they shifted. They stared at each other for a long moment before the memory of others around shook them apart. Scott gave a sleepy groan and reached for his door handle.

Stuart woke as well, staring out the window in recognition of home and then around the car. Seeing everyone reaching for their doors and climbing out, he followed suit. Once he stood on the pebbles of Patrick’s small driveway he stretched and turned to let Tessa out. Only she wasn’t there anymore, having climbed out after Scott. He frowned a little.

Their luggage filled the car but the combination of nothing terribly important and exhaustion led them to grab only what they needed for the night and to trudge inside, small bags slung over their shoulders. They’d fully unpack the car tomorrow.

As they stumbled into the house Patrick wondered about the best way of dividing everyone up for bed in his small house. Jane took charge and announced that she and Tessa would take Patrick’s bed and the boys would organise themselves between the couch and the two mattresses they’d left in the living room for their return. With that she grabbed Tessa’s hand and pulled her along down the short hallway to the bedroom. Tessa followed in sleepy obedience and the boys shuffled off to half-heartedly fight over their places.

The next morning Tessa woke earlier than was her habit when she didn’t have to set an alarm, perhaps something to do with sleeping in a strange bed, she didn’t know. She stumbled a bit as she arranged a bra beneath her sleep top and pulled a sweater over her head. She placed her socked feet carefully against the wooden floor in an attempt to make as little noise as possible and to not fall over in her unbalanced just woken state. Rubbing her hands over her eyes and hair she hoped she didn’t look too strange as she made her way into the kitchen, hopeful for coffee.

The house was silent. Bizarrely, Tessa was the first one awake.

She located Patrick’s coffee machine and set it to brew.

They had all spent a rare long weekend at a cabin near a lake. Joannie, and Andrew and Kaitlyn had also enjoyed the lazy days with them but had returned to Montreal together while the rest had headed to Toronto as a good jump off spot for their final trips home. It had been a great arrangement for Stuart who had a meeting to attend to in Toronto the next day anyway. Emily was the only one who had missed out. Although Tessa refused to feel guilty over that. It had been Emily’s choice as the cabin holiday had been planned for ages before she decided to help out at a community kids’ art therapy class instead. Okay, maybe Tessa felt a little guilty. Emily clearly held the moral high ground in all of this.

The coffee done and spilling delicious smells through the house, she poured out a mug for Stuart and crept into the room where the boys had slept. Not for the first time, she wondered if she was meant to refer to them as ‘men’ yet. But that would make her a woman and she wasn’t sure if she wanted that label just yet.

She paused at the door and smiled at the scene before her. Scott was sprawled on the couch, one hand dragged the wooden floor and his blanket was half off his body. Where it hit the floor Patrick’s face was buried under it. His legs were spread in a wide triangle that Tessa couldn’t believe was comfortable.

Stuart lay next to Patrick on the second mattress. His back was to the other two and one knee pushed against the mattress, keeping him from falling onto his front.

“Stuart.” She whispered and shook his shoulder to wake him.

“Mmm. Tessa.” He mumbled and stretched awake. He propped himself up on one arm and reached to pull her towards him.

“Careful.” She gasped as she tried to place the coffee in safety on the floor near him.

She let him press their lips together in greeting, though wrinkled her nose at the icky morning breath.

While he played along her lips and kissed her jaw, one hand winding through her hair, she let her eyes drift over his shoulder and froze.

Scott was watching them.

His expression was guarded.

She stared back, waiting to see what he would do while Stuart continued pecking at her neck.

Scott closed his eyes and after a moment sat bolt upright. He shoved the blanket off himself and onto Patrick and jumped to his feet. As he passed Patrick’s still dozing form he slapped him on the hip.

“Up and at ‘em!” His voice was cheery but held a steel edge beneath the surface.

He strode on into the kitchen without another glance in Tessa’s direction.

Tessa pulled away from Stuart, swallowing down a silent sigh. He picked up his coffee again and handed it to him with a tired smile.

“Here. You need to leave soon if you’re going to make the train.”

“Thanks, sweetie.” Stuart nudged her chin with a crooked forefinger.

“Sure.” Tessa mumbled as she walked around him and picked Scott’s discarded blanket off Patrick’s snuffling head. She folded it into a neat square and definitely did not press her hands against the residual warmth from her partner’s body. She placed the blanket to one end of the couch and pulled the case off his pillow for Patrick to throw in the laundry.

As Patrick and Stuart rose she repeated the process with their bedding, more as something to distract herself with than out of real necessity.

Together they made their way into the kitchen where Scott had tied an apron around his waist, the ties swinging over his blue tartan pyjama bottoms. He had toast jumping and eggs cooking and was in the throes of arranging breakfast for everyone. Jane already sat at the table staring into her coffee like she was waiting for it to bring her to life.

As they all sat Scott placed a plate of scrambled eggs, two tomato halves, a pile of wilted spinach, and a slice of toast in front of Tessa along with a milky coffee. He squeezed the back of her neck through her hair and swept his hand down her shoulder before leaning on the back of her chair.

“How do you like your eggs, Stu-art?” He broke the word into two as though he’d had to remind himself to finish the name and not to cut it off in a mock nickname, which Tessa knew was exactly what had happened.

“Just the coffee is fine. Thanks Scott. I have a brunch meeting.” Stuart replied in stiff politeness.

“Right. Well, that’s easy.” Scott nodded. “You have to leave soon, don’t you?”

Twenty minutes later Tessa showed Stuart to the door.

“What are you doing, man?” She heard Patrick whisper to Scott behind them.

“Leave it.” Scott muttered back through clenched teeth.

Tessa gave Stuart a swift, and somewhat apologetic, kiss goodbye and watched him leave with promises to call her that evening.

She returned to the kitchen and gave Scott a frown.

He shrugged in return.

Tessa sighed and left to gather her own belongings for the final leg of her trip home.


	6. Veranda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mid Summer

Scott studied his sneakers. They were crossed and propped up to his eye line as his feet rested on the veranda railing. Tatted and having seen better days, they were blue with what used to be white stripes. They looked so sad now. He knew he should replace them, but something made him want to hold on to them. They were comfortable. Fit his feet better than any other shoes he’d had before or since. He waved them a bit, rocking his heels on the railing, and drew a long mouthful of beer.

“You’re an idiot.”

Scott started and shot a raised eyebrow at his best mate who sat next to him in a similar posture, also nursing a beer. “Sorry?”

“You heard me.” Patrick nodded and took a swig.

“Not disagreeing, but what have I done now?”

“You love Tessa.”

“Of course I lo-.”

“Nope. You love her. You, marry her, cuddle her for the rest of your lives, love her.”

Scott fell silent and pressed his lips into a thin line. He stared back at his beer and ran a thumb over the cold wet glass.

“You need to tell her, man.” Patrick nodded.

Scott shuffled, trying to find a more comfortable position in his chair, maybe somewhere away from this conversation.

“She’ll make up her own mind. I won’t force her into anything.”

“How is she meant to make up her mind when she doesn’t have all the facts?” Patrick flung an arm wide in emphasis.

“She knows,” Scott mumbled. “I’m not exactly very good at hiding it.”

“Come on. Girls are stupid. They can’t just know. They don’t get hints. You need to tell them.”

Scott nodded reluctance at the wisdom of this blunt advice.

“Maybe, but she always seems to know what I’m thinking. Doesn’t seem like I can hide anything from her.” Scott peeled at the wet label, easing it from the bottle.

“She does on the ice. And in life a lot of the time. I’ll give you that. You guys are a bit creepy with that actually. But when it comes to stuff like this? I dunno, man. I think you need to tell her.”

They sat in silence for a while. Each musing over the thoughts in his mind and watching the summer breeze tease at dandelions and toss puffs of dust into the air.

“I almost told her.” Scott broke the silence.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

When it didn’t seem as though he was going to elaborate on his own, Patrick prompted him, “When?”

“Last winter.” Scott sighed and shrugged his shoulders into a better position for story telling before launching in.

“We were here. Well, at my mom and dad’s and down on the pond.” He motioned his head in the direction of the small body of water in the distance where some local ducks were having a field day. “We were skating.”

Patrick nodded in approval. What else would anyone do with a frozen over pond? Leaving it unskated was just a cruel snub to nature, really.

“And, I don’t know.” Scott hunched his shoulders. “We were mucking around and she threw a snowball at me and I ended up tackling her into the snow and just-. She landed on top of me. She was lying on me for a bit, but then she was leaning over me and just, I don’t know, her hair was all hanging down with bits of snow in it. And her eyes were-. Her eyes. They were just-. They were so bright. And I could see everything in them. And I just knew. Like, you know how you’re going along and you’re about to do a jump or something and you just know somehow that it’s gonna be the best you’ve ever done and it’s all gonna work out perfectly. And then it does?” Patrick nodded. “Well, it was like that. That’s what she is,” Scott grew quiet and his last words were mumbled. “A perfect lift.”

“So what happened?”

“I don’t know. She frowned, I guess. One of those ones she gets where she doesn’t know what I’m doing and she’s questioning everything. So I just-. I dropped it. I figured she didn’t want it.”

“But what if she did? What if she does?” Patrick pointed to what he felt was the obvious flaw in Scott’s explanation with his bottle. “You said she didn’t get it. Maybe you need to give her that chance. Tell her so she understands and then let her decide.”

Scott nodded and sighed.

“Look, I get it. It’s Tessa. You don’t want to lose her by laying it all on the line and having her choose to walk. But what if by not telling her you lose her anyway? Better to have fought and lost than to not have fought at all. Or something like that.”

Scott leaned forward and pressed his fist between his eyes. He sighed and frowned at the rafters above their heads. “Yeah, okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay, I’ll tell her.” He swallowed in determination.

“Good.” Patrick nodded and sat straighter. “Only-.”

“Yeah, I’ll talk to Em first.”

Patrick nodded and slapped Scott on the shoulder. “It’ll work out. You’ll see.”

Scott nodded, trying to convince himself of that.

“Wanna take the bikes out?”

“Yup.” Scott stood and strode inside for the keys to the shed.

 

* * *

 

True to his word, that night Scott met Emily and ended things. To his great surprise she didn’t wail or get mad as had been his past experience in such situations. Instead she got sad and wistfully hopeful, almost grateful. She actually thanked him. Thanked him for being with her for the short time they had. She said she hoped he and Tessa would be very happy together. He’d tried to downplay it but she’d just smiled, shaken her head, wished him all the best, and left with a handshake and a sweet kiss to his cheek. He noticed her give her cheek a subtle wipe as she walked away from him. He felt like a bigger jerk than he ever had before.


	7. Rink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mid Summer

Scott stopped just inside the doorway to the rink’s change rooms. The room had been empty when he’d deposited his gear in a locker earlier before heading for the office his mother shared with his aunt. Now, on his return, he found Tessa sitting on one of the long slatted benches. Her back was to him and her legs crossed over the bench. She didn’t react to his presence as she usually would have, which caught him off guard.

He smiled as he noticed the slight sway of her body, her head tilted little by little to her left. This was Tessa in mid thrall of a daydream. He wondered what images were floating through her mind and crept closer.

Bending over her shoulder, he saw the magazine open in her lap. A wedding magazine. Pictures of models in different white dresses graced the two page spread. One had a scattering of drawn love hearts next to it. He could see her wearing that dress. It seemed to have been designed for her. It was elegant and carried an old world charm about it while still being one of the sexiest things he’d ever seen.

Scott leaned further around her shoulder, still not touching her and grinned at the delight and peace that held her features. Her lower lip was caught between her teeth but as he watched she released it and let her mouth part just a little.

What he wouldn’t give to-.

Scott mentally shook himself.

“Nice dress.”

Tessa shrieked and jumped almost hitting his jaw with her shoulder. She scrambled to close the magazine and shove it under her bag a little way down the bench. In her haste she caught and slid her finger along the sharp paper edges. Blood bloomed along the neat slice in her skin.

“Oh, Tess. I’m sorry.” He grabbed her injured hand, thumb pressed to her palm. His mouth around her finger and he soothed the cut with his tongue.

“It-it’s okay.” Tessa held her other hand to her heart as she watched him. Little by little, her breaths slowed nearer to their normal pace. “I just-. I didn’t- I didn’t hear you come in.”

Scott nodded around her finger, his eyes smirking at her. _Clearly_. He winked.

“I- um.” She blinked and tried not to focus on her finger and his mouth. She pulled her finger from his grasp and placed her hand in her lap, injured finger cradled and placed just so to reach the air.

“Scott.” She sat straighter and addressed the far wall.

This seemed more serious than anything he felt like hearing.

“I-I have to tell you... something.”

Scott straddled the bench, arranging his legs either side of her, and waited.

“I’m-. I mean Stuart-. Um.” She took a breath and looked him in the eye, watched for his reaction, and began again. “Stuart asked me to marry him. I said yes. I’m, um, I’m going to be married.”

Scott didn’t move. He studied her eyes for a sign that it wasn’t true, that she was playing some bizarre joke on him. Finding none, he swallowed and fought against the stoniness of his expression. Why were his emotions always so apparent? Times like this he hated it. With all his strength he shoved a smile past his clenched jaw.

“Congratulations.” He managed, pleased it didn’t sound as forced as he’d feared.

“Thank you.” Tessa answered automatically, her eyes asking for something from him he couldn’t read and didn’t know how to give.

He guessed Patrick had been wrong. The Tessa he knew would never agree to this if she didn’t truly care for the guy. It would make no difference to tell her his own feelings now. She didn’t want him. It would only hurt and confuse her as she tried to comfort him.

Scott cleared his throat and tried to be as sincere and supportive as always. “I’m sure you’ll be very happy.”

A slight frown creased Tessa’s forehead. “Is that what you really think?”

“Of course.” He said managing a brighter smile. “He’ll make you happy if he knows what’s good for him.” He winked at her and tried to ignore the true menacing undertone in the joke.

“Look.” Tessa smiled, reaching around him and into her bag. She drew out a black velvet ring box and opened it for him to see.

A large square diamond was attached to a gold ring. It didn’t particularly say ‘Tessa’ to him, but it was large, he’d give it that. Stupid lawyers with rich families. There was no way he’d ever be able to give her such a ring. Not with most of their joint money going on travel, accommodation, costumes, coaches, and ice time.

To be honest, he thought Tessa would be more likely to afford a ring like that herself, without him. Couldn’t exactly say, ‘Hey honey, go buy yourself a ring and pretend I gave it to you.’

Scott held it up to the light, inspecting it. Maybe hoping to see a flaw, but who was he kidding, all diamonds looked alike to him. Instead he opted for simpler compliments.

“Pretty.” He turned it over as Tessa nodded. “And sharp. Not planning on wearing this while we skate, are you?”

Tessa chuckled. “No.”

“Good.” He nodded and slipped the ring back into its box. “Kinda hard to be romantic when your hand’s being lacerated.”

Tessa grinned and took the box from him, returning it to her bag.

If he was honest, he had plenty of practice at acting romantic while his hand was being cut. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d caught a wrong grip on a skate blade. In fact she often wore rings. Albeit, ones that were smaller and smoother than this. Mostly, he just didn’t want to try it while she was wearing someone else’s ring. Stuart’s ring. On her hand. His hand, really. The one he’d held for almost two decades now. The thought of that barrier and reminder made him grimace again.

He cleared his throat.

“Well, little girl, we skating or what?” He patted her thigh and reverted to one of his more affectionate nicknames for her, now filled with an urgency to hug her as strong as he could and never let go.

“Yup.” Tessa grinned and nodded. She stood, shoved her bag into a locker and met him at the door, each carrying their skates in their hands to be laced up rink side.

“Scott.” Tessa placed a hand on his forearm, halting him in the doorway. He looked down at her and waited. “Thank you.” She smiled and rested her chin on his shoulder for a moment.

“Sure.” He bent and kissed her forehead. “You know I just want you happy, T.”

She giggled and grinned, looping an arm around his waist. He slung one over her shoulders and they headed for the ice.


	8. Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fall

Tessa felt her face flush and pressed the back of her hand to her cheek. Too much wine, her mind offered, definitely nothing to do with the man watching her while he leant against the wall a few meters away. She needed water.

She pushed at Stuart’s shoulder, prompting him to release his grip on her waist and informed him of her plan, asking if he wanted anything from the bar.

He shook his head and asked, “Want me to come with you?”

“No, you stay.” She gave him a warm smile and patted his shoulder, encouraging him to stay and keep dancing with her friends, who were now his friends, she supposed.

Collecting a tumbler of cool water and filling a small plate with pumpkin shaped cheese hors d’oeuvres, she made her way around the crowd to where Scott and Patrick stood against the wall.

A fall engagement and winter wedding hadn’t exactly been her plan, but she’d had fun choosing the fall themed tiny bites to eat. And she had to admit that the local bar was a fun and cosy place for the occasion.

“I still say you need to tell her.” She overhead Patrick say as she ducked around Scott’s elbow.

“Tell who what?” Tessa watched them in expectation while she sipped her water.

“Nothing,” Scott shook his head. “It’s nothing. Having a good time?”

“Yep.” Tessa’s eyes shone under the dim lights of the bar. “You guys?”

“Yep.” Patrick raised his half full glass of beer to her while Scott nodded.

“What do you think of these?” Tessa held up a tiny pumpkin shaped hors d'oeuvre from her plate. “Stuart doesn’t like them, but I think they’re sweet.”

“I don’t know. Gotta side with Stu on this one. They’re kinda gross.” Scott laughed as Patrick grinned and nodded.

Tessa pouted at them both and then glared at Scott as he stole the tiny pumpkin from her fingers and popped it in her mouth. She growled and quickly chewed and swallowed. She missed the frequency with which Scott’s gaze drifted to her lips. Patrick didn’t and gave a quiet snort of exasperation down at his glass.

“But they’re pumpkins! Look how cute they are!” She held the plate up for them to get a closer look. “And don’t call him that.” She mumbled the often repeated admonishment under her breath.

“Sure, but they’re also weird cheese and I’m not sure pumpkins were ever meant to be cheese, Tess.” Scott grinned.

“None of you deserve them.” She humphed.

“Probably not. “ Scott conceded.

He took a mouthful of beer and noticed Stuart not so subtly watching them from the dance floor. Scott bent closer to Tessa and spoke low, “Think your fiancé would care if I asked for a dance?”

Tessa looked back at Stuart, flounced her hair over her shoulder, and lifted her nose toward the ceiling.

“I don’t care if he does. You can always have a dance.”

She shoved her plate of bizarre pumpkins at Patrick who balanced them awkwardly for a moment before depositing them on a nearby shelf.

Tessa took the beer from Scott’s hand and shoved that, too, at Patrick who placed it next to the pumpkins. She grabbed his hand and pulled him out onto the crowded dance floor.

One of Scott’s hands settled comfortably on her waist as hers slid to his shoulder. He cradled her other hand to his heart and swayed them in a circle to the slow beat of the song.

“I won’t always be around to see it, but can you promise me you’ll always be happy?”

“No.” She admitted. “I can try, but I don’t think anyone can promise that.”

He nodded, his cheek rubbing against her hair.

“We always made each other happy, didn’t we, Tess?”

Tessa gave a small laugh. “Not always.”

“No,” He conceded. “But we always tried. And we always got there eventually.”

She nodded and sighed.

“How are we meant to make each other happy now?” He wondered.

They’d had situations where another person had been included before, but never one as permanent as a fiancé or husband.

“I guess we can’t.” Tessa stopped dancing and pulled back to look at him. “This isn’t goodbye though, right? We’ll still see each other. We’ll still skate.”

“Of course.” Scott gave her a weak smile he didn’t feel.

“Don’t go too far from me, okay?” Tessa asked, tears pricking at her eyes.

“We’ll see.” Scott nodded. “Not for a while anyway. But you’ll be fine. Stuart’s an alright guy.”

“Hmm.” Tessa smiled and swayed back against him, moving them both back into the rhythm of the music.

Over her shoulder Scott caught sight of Patrick rolling his eyes at them and popping a pumpkin in his mouth followed by a swift gulp of beer.


	9. Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter

Scott gave the wall next to the open door a soft knock and entered Tessa's bedroom. He tugged at his suit jacket in a vain attempt to get it to sit better. Tessa stood before him in a white dress, her hair piled in curls on her head. She studied herself in the floor length mirror and kicked one foot up behind her, then swapped to the other. She had shoes from different pairs on each foot, still trying to decide which matched her dress best. He knew it was her wedding dress given how close it was to her walking down the aisle and out of his life forever, but it wasn’t the dress she’d drawn hearts around in the magazine.

This dress stopped just below her knees and a high neckline covered her almost to her neck. It was a sweet dress and she looked amazing in it. He’d seen her wear something similar to a wedding they’d attended a year or so earlier.

His eyes widened in realization. She didn’t want this. This wasn’t her wedding. The congratulations and best wishes he’d come to give her flew from his mind and the words that left his mouth were very different.

“Tess.” Scott called. She spun from the mirror, her eyes brightening as she saw him. Holding her gaze, he strode closer and grabbed her hands. Her smile faltered a little. “I love you.”

Tessa laughed, a little relieved. “I know.”

Was that all? From the look in his eyes she had thought it was something big. But those words, I love you. He’d said them a million times. They both had. You’re the best partner ever, I love you. You’re such a goofball, I love you.

“No. No, Tess, Tessa.” Scott ducked closer and shook her hands, urging her to understand. The smile fell from Tessa’s face. “I don’t love you like that. Well, I do, it’s just, I don’t  _just_ love you as a partner or brother or best friend.” He paused again, searching her eyes for understanding. “I love you, Tess. I love you like I want to spend forever with you. Like I need you in my life, waking up next to me every morning.” He took a deep breath. “Tessa, I love you like I want to marry you.”

Tessa backed away from him and the truth in his eyes. He let her go but followed her every movement, anxious to know what she thought, what she felt.

She was shaking her head and pulling at her wrists and hands in nervousness.

“Tessa?”

“You don’t! You can’t! You never-.” Tessa took a deep breath trying to calm the anger and hope and fear and joy and too many other emotions besides that were warring to be let out. Anger won for the moment.

She shoved him away from her.

“How can you say that now?!” She flung her hands wide and towards the door that led to all of their friends and family, and the man waiting to marry her. “What the hell, Scott? Are you serious?”

Scott remained quiet and watched her while she raged. He knew he deserved it. Knew he had to let her throw all of the accusations he’d been throwing at himself for weeks now.

Tessa started striding up and down in a line of three steps. Each step pushed her annoyance and frustration into the floor. It was a good thing she’d opted for the short dress after all as now the length didn’t hinder her at all. Her solid mismatched heels helped give a satisfying thud with each stomp of her feet.

He watched her pace until she slumped onto the ottoman at the end of the bed and closed her eyes.

“Tess.” He called, dropping to kneel next to her. One hand covered her knee, his thumb tracing familiar patterns over her skin. If it would generally have been considered odd to both be seeking and giving comfort while this conversation played out, they didn’t notice it. Tessa continued to draw in calming breaths and to resolutely  _not_ look at him. She opened her eyes but kept them fixed on her hands clenched about each other in her lap.

“Tess.” Scott started again. He took a moment to formulate his next words with care.

“Why did you wear this dress?” She looked up puzzled. “Why this one and not the other one, from the magazine. The one you really loved.”

Tessa looked back at her skirt. She smoothed it out, brushing over his hand. Then, so quiet he had to lean closer to hear her, she admitted, “That one was for you.” The ‘you’ was choked off into a whisper. She looked at him, her jaw clenched, and repeated in a stronger voice. “That dress was for you. I just– I realised I didn’t want to wear it for anyone else.”

Scott grinned and reached for her. His hands cradled her face, fingertips nudging the torturous hairstyle. He kissed her. As soft and gentle as he could manage, his lips moved over hers. Tessa pushed into him grasping and pulling him closer as her mouth sought more and more of him.

As happened to them on occasion, they forgot everything else. Time, place, other people. Their parents had first noticed it when they had been small, clambering into warm cars and out of the frosty mornings. They found each other in the back seats and fell asleep in that perfect serenity of children utterly safe and content that all was right with the world. Others had noticed it over the years. It was hard not to when one or the other would pause mid-sentence because they’d begun a silent conversation with their partner across the room.

Now, the only things that existed were their hands and bodies and mouths and each other. Everything sought to say in a moment what their minds had been trying and failing to putting into words for such a long time. Love didn’t seem enough. How could it even begin to describe the feeling that currently flooded them? It was both ecstasy and contentment. But perhaps that was what it was. All consuming and unadulterated love.

A smash of china shattered through the air.

They jumped a little, the loud noise dimly reaching their ears. Scott pulled back from where he’d ended up, leaning over Tessa, arms holding her tight against himself, body pressing her back into the edge of the bed’s mattress. Tessa followed him upright. They shifted apart till only their foreheads lent against each other. After one and then a second united, calming breath they looked up.

Kate Virtue stared at them. She was frozen on the far side of the room, having walked down the hall to check on her daughter. Her mouth hung open. The remnants of a family heirloom lay in pieces at her feet on the hardwood floor.

Her hand rose to point at them. Her face flashed into delight. “Are you-? Did you-? Are you-?”

The biggest smile she’d felt in a long time took over Tessa’s face. She looked at Scott who beamed back at her. They turned to her mother still frozen in the doorway and said, “Yes.”

Kate ran towards them, only just remembering to step around the shattered china. She pulled Tessa into a teary hug and reached out to include Scott’s head.

“Oh my God! Do you know what a big scare you gave me! I thought you were never going to…” She trailed off in favour of having a good cry in relieved joy.

Scott’s mother appeared next, having followed Kate but stopped off for a quick visit to the ladies. Kate looked up at her footsteps and her bewildered voice, “What in the world?” She looked at each of them and down at the shattered china which she quickly nudged out of the doorway.

Kate let go of Scott’s head and reached for her, her arm still around Tessa. “Alma.” She choked. “They’ve figured it out.”

Realisation dawned on Alma dropping her mouth open into a gasp and then wider into an excited smile. She let out a slow, “What?” She looked from, Kate trying to get her tears under control while Tessa glowed and rubbed her back, to Scott whose grin was threatening to break his face. “You don’t mean?” She wandered into the room, her feet moving on their own. Scott cleared the room in two strides and threw his arms around his mother. He hugged her so tightly she lifted off the floor and started slapping his shoulders. “Scott, let me-!

“Oh, sorry.” He stood to her side and settled for an arm over her shoulders while she hugged his waist and patted his tummy. 

“Well.” Said Alma. “That’s that then.”

“What’s all this?” Joe and Jim now stood in the doorway.

“We’ve got people waiting.” Joe pointed out. “What are you all doing in here?”

Alma quickly relayed the news.

“Well, that’s that then.” Joe echoed his wife.

Jim hummed. “Well, I’d better go tell people something. I assume the wedding is off.”

“Ah.” Scott raised his hand to stop him while Tessa nodded.

“Don’t worry. I know the drill. I won’t tell them why.” Jim disappeared down the hall.

“Joe?” Tessa asked with the air of someone who had to do something they dreaded but knew had to be done. “Could you ask Stuart to come?”

“Sure, honey.” Joe nodded. He reached out and gave his son a sharp cuff behind his ear.

“Ow. What was tha-?”

"You know.” Joe waved a finger at him. “You know.”

Scott grimaced and nodded as Joe turned and followed Jim down the hall.

Alma reached for Kate, still glued to Tessa’s side. “Come on, Kate. Let’s go put the kettle on.” Kate allowed herself to be led away with one last teary smile at Tessa and Scott.

The room quiet once again, Scott pulled Tessa into a hug. He kissed the top of her head.

“Do you want me to stay?”

“No. I don’t think so.” She sighed. “It’ll be better if you don’t.”

He nodded.

“Okay then.” He gave her one last squeeze and headed for the door. Almost there he turned back and bounced over to whisper secretively in her ear. “Tessa, I love you.”

Tessa laughed and shoved him away, then gasped.

“You need to see a mirror.” She ran a thumb along his bottom lip in emphasis. Apparently her lipstick wasn’t as ‘kiss proof’ as advertised.

They separated. Scott to find a bathroom and Tessa to sit back on the ottoman and wait, trying to figure out how she was meant to put this into words.


	10. Sand - Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks later.

Tessa held her arms wide and let her head fall back. She took a deep breath of salty sea air and relished the sun warming her skin. Sand crunched and squeaked beneath her feet. A wave washed over them and raced back to the ocean, drawing sand from around her feet and toes. She giggled at the ticklish sensation and planted her feet more firmly into the beach.

How everything could be this perfect after the year they’d had, she had no idea. She wasn’t about to argue with it, though. When Scott had suggested a short beach holiday in the Caribbean a couple of weeks ago after Tessa had run in out of the snow to meet him her eyes had lit up instantly.

They hadn’t told anyone where they were going, save for their parents and Patrick. Scott had muttered something about owing him. The whole point had been to escape for a few days and having most people they knew have no idea where they were added to the feeling of freedom.

Tessa loved it. With the warm sea air floating around her bikini clad body, she was willing to believe this was one of the best ideas Scott had ever had.

A clump of wet sand hit her hip, spreading grains over the side of her white bikini bottoms and jerking her from the enjoyment of the moment. She jumped and gasped, turning to see how sand had possibly landed on her. She was half afraid to find small boys laughing at her, even though this beach was relatively secluded. Instead she found Scott clad in nothing but shorts and laughing. He grinned and bent to form another ball of sand from the beach. It was patted and rolled around in his hands until it was a perfect sphere and he lifted his arm to aim.

“Don’t you dare!” Tessa waved her hands at him in warning.

He dared. The second ball landed on her abdomen, which she’d had just enough time to brace against the impact.

“You’re such a jerk!”

Scott laughed and Tessa growled before running as fast as she could at him. She knocked into him with all the force she could find and Scott, not used to balancing on sand, teetered over backwards. He grabbed for her as he went down, dragging her with him. His back hit the wet sand with a muffled thud and Tessa landed sprawled on top of him.

“Oof.” The air left their lungs in a joint grunt.

Tessa lifted her head from where it had landed against his chest and squirmed up to lean over him. Her hands pushed into the sand beside his shoulders. Scott pursed his lips and gave her a look of mock irritation. Tessa laughed until a serene smile stretched over his mouth.

Little bits of sand clung to her hair. He reached to wipe them away, only succeeding in replacing the grains with more from his own hands.

“Deja vu, huh?” Scott tried to brush the sand from his hands onto his shorts.

Tessa chuckled. “You started it. Didn’t anyone ever tell you you shouldn’t throw sand?”

Scott reached to trace her forehead with his now somewhat clean fingers. Tessa tilted her head and wrinkled her nose at him with a smile.

“What are you thinking?” Her curiosity begged for answers.

“Nothing much.” Scott smiled back and his fingers traced down her cheek to grasp her chin. “Just that you’re perfect.” He leaned up and caught her lips with his. His hand left her chin and reached to cup the back of her head, drawing her down as he lay his head on the sand.

She eagerly obliged and lay long against him. One leg tangled with his while the other kicked up into the air before resting with the others as she melted as close to him as possible. They relished each other’s lips in lazy, lingering kisses while her toes pushed into the sand near his ankles and waves teased about their feet.

Scott sighed long and deep. “Marry me, Tess.”

“Okay.” She agreed with nary a consideration.

Scott started from his reverie and jerked beneath her.

“What? No!” He exclaimed and let his fists fall to the sand by his sides with twin thuds. He growled in frustration.

“What?” Tessa pushed herself up onto her hands.

“No, no. It’s just-.” Scott squeezed his eyes closed before looking back up at her and rubbing her back. “I had this whole thing planned for tonight and I was going to ask you then and now I’ve ruined it.”

Tessa laughed at the sheer disappointment on his face. “You can ask me as many times as you like. The answer isn’t going to change.”

Scott’s grin was shrouded in residual disappointment, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her close.

“Ah. Tess, I love you.” He gripped her bare sides and nuzzled against her neck.

“Love you, too.” She whispered at his ear.

“Forever?” She asked, repeating a long practiced ritual.

“Forever.” He promised.

They lay snuggled against each other on the sand for some time. Between kisses and caresses they spoke of everything and nothing until the waves began to wash too high over their legs, signalling a need to move if they didn’t want to be washed out to sea.

True to his word Scott proposed again that night. He’d arranged for dinner on a private jetty low to the water. It came full of flowers, candles, a white tablecloth, and a waiter who knew just how long to hang around and when to disappear.

This proposal was far more eloquent and rehearsed than the one he’d uttered in the sand, but she loved it just the same. For good measure, Scott continued proposing to her whenever he felt like it for the rest of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All done, folks :D I hope you enjoyed this last little bit. Thanks for sticking with me and being so patient. You're the greatest readers I could hope for and I've loved your comments all the way through. Thank you! <3


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